Tag: Kitchen layout

  • Freeing Up a Remuera Kitchen

    Freeing Up a Remuera Kitchen

    One of our most recent kitchen renovations, this stylish project in Remuera was commissioned with the purpose of renewing, revitalising, and also expanding this aging kitchen. Aside from the broken hinges and general wear, the project sought to ambitiously relieve the kitchen of an aesthetic column that the owners found obtrusive. BoxMakers aimed to perform a comprehensive kitchen upgrade centred around the newly freed space.

    While the existing column served as aesthetical divider for the kitchen, it also doubled as a barrier, both physically and visually.

    Interconnectedness was a key priority of BoxMakers’ plan for this project, aiming to free up both working space and visual clutter, as well as generating an enhanced sense of connectivity to the living space, as befit the home’s open floor plan. Great care and effort were taken in removal and preparation. The result was an unobstructed sightline into the kitchen and much more room for the new benchtop – which also meant more kitchen at no cost to space.

    In addition to the column removal, a comprehensive renovation was also performed on the kitchen space itself, significantly replacing the joinery, benchtop, and fixtures. The new U-benchtop was of engineered stone, finished in Carrara Gold by Horizon Stone: a glossy white finish with fine veins of gold weave sewn into its design. The splashback featured the same design, extending up to the custom cabinetry.

    With an emphasis on “shiny and new”, the main cabinet faces were finished in glossy White Swan by Decorpanel, bringing an unmatched level of sheen and polish to the kitchen. We chose a minimalist style of handles by Enko to support this design. Beneath the benchtop, we installed a dual-tiered Magic Corner unit from FIT’s Giamo series, as well as a hidden dual-bin from their Tanova series. The rest of the custom cabinetry featured a melamine finish of Prime Maple by Primepanels, which housed a tandem pantry unit by Kesseböhmer – and if that wasn’t enough storage, the under-sink cabinetry also featured a pull-out unit, likewise by Kesseböhmer.

    The majority of the appliances were also replaced, such as a new Haier oven and a new Bosch cooktop and rangehood. A broad array of LED lighting was also installed, completing the new and modern look of the kitchen. BoxMakers was able to achieve this dazzling result thanks to a diligent understanding of the client’s vision, combined with our experience in designing any type of kitchen aesthetic – whether it’s matte and traditional, or glossy and modern.

  • An Elegant Townhouse Kitchen – Sunnynook

    An Elegant Townhouse Kitchen – Sunnynook

    To fit out one of our Sunnynook townhouses, we called upon the services of our brilliant BoxMakers team to design and execute a perfect kitchen and cabinetry solution. In a home designed by our architectural counterpart, VIKON Construction, BoxMakers sought to deliver a size-appropriate yet featureful inclusion that worked in tandem with the surrounding open floor plan.

    Featuring a combination of Scandinavian design cues and modern farmhouse aspects, this highly functional kitchen leans heavily on creating a cosy and inviting atmosphere. The woodgrain of the cabinetry and gloss of the subway tiles create a striking balance of texture and polish, while also fusing styles for a multilayered kitchen appearance. Finished in Melteca’s Aged Ash Organic melamine, the cabinets evoke a certain sense of naturalness – perfectly complimented by earthly accessories such as potted plants.

    The sink unit and cooktop are placed perfectly opposite one another, on separate benchtops, and are both finished in White Sand Engineered Stone by Uniquartz. The subtle gloss gels charmingly with the subway-tiled splashback, completing the white and wood aesthetic.

    Our custom cabinetry features a handless design for the overheard units, complimented by a quaint three-shelf display and a convenient extended-base cupboard. The rangehood is also subtly hidden away beneath the main cabinet. Likewise, a Tanova pull-out bin is tucked away within the bench. Our bench cabinets feature Mardeco’s 4045 handles finished in black, and are also used on the accompanying fridge cabinetry, generously sized to accommodate a wide range of refrigeration units. Unlike the rest of the cabinetry, these MDF panels are finished in embossed white, easing the aesthetic transition into the living space.

    The combination of these elements creates a curated and functional meld of both form and function, while taking up only a modest amount of room.

  • An Achromatic Kitchen Design

    An Achromatic Kitchen Design

    BoxMakers’ work for this unique kitchen makeover in Sunnyhills remains one of our most visually striking transformations. The rift in design style spans close to half a century, creating one of the largest visual upgrades we’ve done. The core themes of this upgrade are minimalism, achromaticity, and tactility.

    The original kitchen was designed in a mid-century modern style, with prominent retro influences reminiscent of the 60s and 70s. It came complete with strong orange and brown accents which spanned to the wallpaper, splashbacks, and benchtop. The owner wished for a modern minimalist style for their new kitchen, a stark contrast to the lurid oranges and browns. It wasn’t simply the design that was outdated either; the appliances and furnishings were notably aged, and wouldn’t look out of place in a 70s television show.

    With the goal of creating something plain and simple, the owner called upon BoxMakers to deliver a full kitchen renovation. The primary colours were an arresting achromatic black and white – and this extended to all the appliances, furnishings, and fixtures. MDF was chosen for the cabinetry material, coated in Prime White by PrimePanels. This white theme extended to the benchtop, which came in a glossy White Ice by Uniquartz, matching the doors and walls. Everything else, however, came in the colour of night.

    The glossy splashback was the most prominent display of contrast in the entire kitchen. Adorned with tactile wavelike grooves, it evoked the sense of swimming in a midnight sea under a moonless sky. Each ridge was carefully contoured to mirror the gentle silence of nighttime waves. Likewise, the pendant light above the peninsula wing is a horizontal bar of pure black, adding to the minimalist goal.

    Stefano Orlati was the brand for the cabinet handles. Their Matt Black square pull handles were the perfect choice in both shape and colour. While many minimalist builds opt for hidden or recessed handles, this kitchen’s tactile focus meant that full-grip bars were perfectly suited. The black theme can also be seen in the sink, faucets, and appliances, such as Fisher & Paykel’s Series 5 Cooktop. Häfele’s Comfort II series served as a pull-out unit, tucking away bottles and spices beneath its minimalist exterior.

    Every detail was thoughtfully considered by BoxMakers to offer a seamless blend of style and practicality, resulting in a kitchen that is as beautiful as it is efficient.